1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for receiving stock, stacking a plurality of the stock in aligned stacks, and transporting the aligned stacks to a receptacle.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,836,018 discloses an article palletizing and depalletizing apparatus including a .first embodiment with a suction head mounted on an elevated track for horizontal travel between a conveyor and a pallet. A second embodiment has a first end of an elevated track over one of six pallet receiving tables on a rotatable carousel carriage. A suction head is raised and lowered to grip an entire layer of articles only by their top surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,650 discloses a method and apparatus for feeding sheet material, such as signatures or magazine portions, into a hopper as even stacks. The signatures are carried, overlapped, on a conveyor operated intermittedly as controlled by sensors in the hopper. The hopper uses air jets of compressed air directed against the signatures as well as reciprocating motion of joggers as the signatures fall into the hopper. The joggers reciprocate out of phase with one another to even the stack.
A transporting device in the form of a turret stacker is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,147 including a turret rotatable by 180 degrees for placing coils in a stack on a turntable. The turret has a lifting and stacking mechanism on which is supported pivotally movable legs including rests for gripping and supporting the coils.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,191 discloses a device for removing stacked materials from a carousel which includes a pickup member supported by a pair of spaced horizontal rods which are mounted on a vertically extending rod. The pickup member lifts individual pieces of fabric from a stack at one of four locations on the carousel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,024 includes a fork-lift mechanism for palletizing metal sheets from a sheering press wherein the fork lift mechanism is supported on a carriage mounted on an elevated track for horizontal and vertical displacement. A conveyor moves in a direction traverse to the direction of the discharge of the sheering press. Flipper assemblies and side tamper assemblies are included along with an end stop to aid in stacking of the sheet material on the fork lift.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,556,214 discloses an apparatus for stacking and packing can ends into a fiber tube. The can ends are fed continuously into the device and fall into place along guide bars after being cut. The can ends are moved horizontally during a feed stroke to stacker worms which rotate to lift can ends into the open bottom of a fiber tube. Once 125 can ends are in the tube, a sample is discharged for inspection and a turret on which the tube is mounted is rotated to the next position for filling of the next tube. The tubes are then manually closed and taped at the ends thereof.